Colombia’s outgoing President Gustavo Petro has accused the United States of aligning itself with a hard-right candidate to succeed him, claiming the candidate is linked to “narco-traffickers” — the very elements the Trump administration claims to combat. Petro made the remarks in response to US President Donald Trump’s public support for right-wing lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, who defeated leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda — a close ally of Petro — in the first round of Colombia’s presidential election.
De la Espriella, 47, built his fortune representing drug-trafficking paramilitaries, fraudsters, and football stars. He is now set to face Cepeda in a runoff on June 21.
Trump endorsed de la Espriella on Tuesday, praising his professional success and political alignment with the US.
Petro, who has been in a verbal standoff with the Trump administration, described the US backing as interference in Colombia’s internal affairs.
“Their (US) allies in Colombia come from the narco-paramilitary regime; they are genocidal and drug traffickers,” Petro said.
Both Petro and Cepeda have accused the country’s paramilitary groups of committing a “genocide” against leftist political activists and politicians, including Cepeda’s father, a communist senator assassinated in 1994.
Petro expressed regret that “figures and governments who want to fight drug trafficking are actually helping to bring crime to political power in Colombia.”
The Trump administration has repeatedly accused Petro of sheltering narco-smugglers, including former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was captured by US forces earlier this year.
The rift between the two nations has widened, with both sides exchanging hostile remarks throughout 2026.
The outcome of the presidential election will not only determine Colombia’s future but will also shape US-Colombia relations in the coming years under President Donald Trump.
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